Here's what's making headlines in the political world on Tuesday, October 9, 2018:
Rapper Kanye West to visit White House
-- Rapper Kanye West will meet with President Trump and his son-in-law Jared Kushner at the White House on Thursday.
West will have lunch with the President at the White House and meet with Kushner, according to White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders. The New York Times first reported news of the meeting.
West's visit to the White House falls in line with Kushner's efforts at criminal justice reform. West hopes to discuss two key issues during his visit at the White House: job opportunities for ex-convicts and ways to increase manufacturing jobs in and around his hometown of Chicago.
Other topics of discussion will include prison reform, how to prevent gang violence and reducing violence in Chicago, Sanders said.
Clinton slams Trump remarks at swearing-in of Kavanaugh
-- Hillary Clinton said Tuesday that President Trump staged a "political rally" at Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's ceremonial swearing-in that "further undermined the image and integrity of the court."
"What was done last night in the White House was a political rally. It further undermined the image and integrity of the court," Clinton, Trump's Democratic 2016 election opponent, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview.
"And that troubles me greatly. It saddens me. Because our judicial system has been viewed as one of the main pillars of our constitutional government. So I don't know how people are going to react to it. I think, given our divides, it will pretty much fall predictably between those who are for and those who are against," Clinton said.
"But the President's been true to form," she continued. "He has insulted, attacked, demeaned women throughout the campaign — really for many years leading up to the campaign. And he's continued to do that inside the White House."
Trump says he like's T. Swift's music "less now"
-- If he ever enjoyed Taylor Swift's music, President Donald Trump now likes the pop star's tracks "about 25% less."
Trump struck out at Swift a day after the singer and longtime Nashville resident endorsed Democratic candidate Phil Bredesen, a former governor, over Republican Rep. Marsha Blackburn in Tennessee's Senate race.
"What'd she say?" Trump said with a smile when he was asked about Swift's comments on Tennessee politics, walking back toward reporters on the White House's South Lawn after hearing the pop star's name shouted at him.
After being told Swift announced her opposition to Blackburn and endorsed Bredesen, Trump offered quick praise for Blackburn, who he said "is doing a very good job in Tennessee."
And then he served Swift with a diss.
"I'm sure Taylor Swift has nothing -- or doesn't know anything about her (Blackurn)," Trump said.
And then he added, with a laugh: "Let's say that I like Taylor's music about 25% less now, OK?"
Voter registration up after Taylor Swift's post
-- According to Vote.org, there was a significant increase in voter registration after Taylor Swift waded into politics.
Kamari Guthrie, director of communications for the nonprofit Vote.org, told Buzzfeed that numbers had spiked both nationally and in Swift's home state of Tennessee after the singer's post Sunday on Instagram.
"We are up to 65,000 registrations in a single 24-hour period since T. Swift's post," Guthrie said.
For comparison's sake, 190,178 new voters were registered via Vote.org nationwide during September and 56,669 in August. Swift suggested people visit the website.
Swift on Sunday endorsed Tennessee Democrats Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper. They are running for the Senate and House of Representatives, respectively.
CNN reports compiled by KGTV
